


Finally, We've Come to Our Eternity

by Rellanka



Series: A Year Of Cloudy Skies [13]
Category: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Fluff, Genderfluid Character, M/M, Married Life, Reuniting, Time Jump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:40:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23778538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rellanka/pseuds/Rellanka
Summary: Conclusion of the series, and a look at where Andrea and Cloud have ended up.
Relationships: Andrea Rhodea/Cloud Strife
Series: A Year Of Cloudy Skies [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1697269
Comments: 11
Kudos: 145





	Finally, We've Come to Our Eternity

**Author's Note:**

> This one is the time jump one, with the time of the first section being after the Compilation (so after DOC.) Then a smaller time jump after that, which you'll see why in fic.

Andrea’s breath caught in his throat as he looked at a ghost he’d thought long gone from his life. A ghost that he’d adored. That he’d loved. ( _Past tense?_ a part of him scoffed. _As if he didn’t still love this man with every ounce of his heart and soul._ ) 

A ghost that was currently standing right in front of him. 

Cloud looked back at him uncertainly, that slight frown on his face that Andrea knew was a cover up for uncertainty and insecurity. How easy it was, to fall back into the rhythm of reading the man now that he was back before him. It seemed that Cloud hadn’t changed all that much, in the time he’d been gone from Andrea’s side. Or at least, he hadn’t changed in regards to this matter. 

Andrea had never expected this to happen. Had never dared to hope that he would see Cloud again. Oh, with his ear to the ground for any mention of Cloud as it had been, he’d heard that Cloud had survived. How could he not, when the man was so widely regarded as the savior of them all by most, and as the reason why they’d lost the comfort of mako energy by a few others. (Andrea had taken special pleasure, making it clear to men such as the latter how unwelcome they were in his Inn.)

Andrea had known that Cloud had survived, and had hoped that the man was managing to live a good life. But when Cloud had never sought him out, he’d taken it for the message that it likely was. He’d honored the man’s silent request, and never sought him out himself; not even when Andrea desperately wished to. Instead, Andrea had done his best to pick up his life and his family from the wreckage that Midgar had been turned into after Meteorfall, and make a new home for them all somewhere else. 

It was a source of pride to say that he had succeed even better than he’d ever thought he could, with his new Inn being potentially more famous than the last. Their shows were a little less flashy in consideration to the current energy crisis the world still wasn’t quite past; but that didn’t mean they were any less well attended. Andrea had made sure of it, had made sure that they were something people knew of, in hopes that Cloud would hear of them and perhaps be tempted to see one for himself. 

It had never seemed to work. 

Cloud hadn’t come. 

Until now. 

Cloud looked as beautiful as he always had as he stood there before him, fidgeting slightly in the entryway of Andrea’s new Honey Bee Inn. Still handsome enough to make Andrea stare, still beautiful enough to take his breath away. 

“I- thought that you were dead. Someone told me- I had Tifa triple check that the destination was right when she told me someone wanted a package delivered here. To you.” Cloud finally said a little stiffly. He couldn’t seem to tear his eyes from Andrea. 

Andrea paused, caught in a flash of dark anger at the thought that someone had lied to Cloud in such a way, overlapped by a sudden hope that held him captive. Cloud seemed- incredibly glad to see him standing there. More glad than someone who hadn’t wanted to see someone else should be. “Well, despite what you might have heard, I can assure you that I am still breathing. But would it be too bold to ask what might have changed had you known that, Cloud? Up to this point, I believed that the reason I hadn’t seen you was because you didn’t **wish** to see me.”

“No!” Cloud nearly shouted, before quickly gathering his composure with a blush and saying more softly, almost to himself, “No, I- that’s not what it was at all. But… maybe you wanted that to be- I, uh. Maybe I should just let you sign for the package. I’m sure that if things are anything like before, you’re probably really busy. Once you sign, I can just go.”

Oh, Andrea was busy, but wonder of wonders, he’d suddenly picked up quite a bit of free time. He smiled privately, calculatingly, as he accepted the offered clipboard. _Oh, honey, how foolish you are if you think I am so unwise as to let you slip through my fingers so easily this time. Not when it looks like you might just be able to stay this time. Not when it looks like you just might **want** to._

But he didn’t allow those thoughts to show quite yet, even as an anticipation caused his heart to race in excitement. No, catching hold of this particular treasure once more was going to require a bit of finesse. In the years he’d spent as an entertainer, and then as the owner of the Honey Bee Inn, Andrea had acquired quite a bit of that. For a chance at the only man that had ever successfully managed to capture his heart, for the only man that still had a hold of it, Andrea could allow his attempts at persuasion to be nothing less than _perfection._

“None of that was true. It’s really quite wonderful to see you again, Cloud.” Andrea murmured deeply with a soft, suggestive smile as he passed the clipboard over. Plans swirling around and taking form in his mind.

 _And it will be even more wonderful to see you again, and again, and again._

***

Andrea shifted in his bed and the form he was wrapped around as he drifted peacefully into waking, the dream that he’d been having still clinging just a bit to his mind, just enough that he realized what he had been dreaming. 

He smiled into his bedmates shoulder. Ah, he’d been dreaming of the first time that he and his now-husband had been reunited. Good. He rather liked that dream. 

As Andrea stared down at the beautiful form he was wrapped around, wondering how he had managed to become so lucky. Yes, Andrea was rather good at plotting and arranging situations to his benefit. It’s why he’d been so good at running Honeybee Inn. It’s why he’d been able to easily set up a new one, and ensure that he kept the men and women working for him (his family, truly) happy and healthy while still making sure his customers were satisfied with their service. 

He’d done that, because he was good at reading people, at know what they needed, what they wanted without them having to tell him. 

But he’d never known that he would manage to gain something like this. Something that brought him more happiness with every day. 

He’d been surprised, when he’d realized that **he** was something that Cloud wanted, and even more, was something that Cloud wanted to **keep**. It’d been an extremely happy surprise. Cloud had been something **Andrea** had wanted to keep for a long, long time. To find out that his feelings were returned… 

Well, perhaps Andrea had jumped the gun a bit when he’d proposed to Cloud directly after finding that out, but he couldn’t find himself to regret it. Not when Cloud had said **yes.**

Andrea smiled at the memories of the wedding, of memories of Tifa as Cloud’s bridesmaid and the little girl they cared for, Marlene, as the flower girl. Of Barret giving him what amounted to a shovel talk before the wedding, but still delivering Cloud into his care during the wedding itself. Of Andrea’s Honeyboy’s and Honeygirl’s all teasing him relentlessly while still letting him know how happy they were for him. Of Madam M insisting on being his woman of honor, while Sam stood in for his own father. Of how happy he and Cloud had both been that day. Of how beautiful Cloud had looked, standing across from Andrea. 

While he was lost in remembrance, the gorgeous thing in his arms began stirring, prompting Andrea to press another kiss to Cloud’s shoulder in greeting. Cloud twisted in Andrea’s arms and blinked open those blue eyes, and Andrea smiled as he read the familiar look in them all too well. 

Not his husband today, then. His wife. 

“Hello.” Cloud said softly as she gazed at him, lips upturned slightly in the sweetest happiness. 

“Hello.” Andrea purred in a happy return, unable to keep himself from pressing several kisses to that dear face. 

Cloud allowed it for several long moments before finally pushing him away gently to adorably bury her face into his chest and hide from his affection. 

“I was dreaming about the time when we met after Meteorfall.” Andrea confessed to his wife’s golden locks, pressing a kiss into the tips of their soft, silky fluff and smiling wider at his wife’s protesting groan.

“Guess you’re gonna be a sap again today, huh?” Cloud accused with a playful glare as she leaned back slightly.

“Always, honey.” Andrea confessed without shame as he bent to press a kiss to the very tip of Cloud’s adorable nose. 

Cloud let out a very soft scream at the action, burying her head in the sheets between them for a moment before pushing herself from the bed. 

“I can’t deal with you this early in the morning.” She threw out as she made her way to their dresser, her apparent annoyance ruined by the twitch of her lips, the softness in her eyes, the soft blush on her face. 

She sat down at their vanity, deliberating over her choices for a moment, before picking up one of the necklaces before her up and bringing it over to the bed so that Andrea could sit up and clip it into place with a kiss pressed softly against Cloud’s neck. 

“Are you going to let Nellie do your makeup today?” Andrea asked. 

All of his girls and boys loved Cloud, their stalwart protector who was always there if any of them needed her, but Nellie loved her just that little bit more. Nellie’d been one of the one’s who hadn’t been part of Andrea’s original Inn, and the people she’d run into in her line of work had been less than kind to her. She’d been afraid of Cloud, at first. Afraid of most men, even if Cloud wasn’t a man all the time. Until one day there’d been a too-rough client, and Cloud, who’d been male at the time, had heard her cries and burst in before the Inn’s security could. He’d taken care of the client quickly, and then been gentle, so gentle with Nellie afterward. He’d talked her down from her panic attack, and up from the state of worthlessness she’d fallen into afterwards. She’d adored Cloud ever since, and while Andrea hated the circumstance that had caused them to become close (and had thoroughly blacklisted said client because of the situation), he was glad for the friendship they’d found with one another. 

And doing Cloud’s makeup on the occasions when she was a woman was one of Nellie’s favorite activities. 

“Yeah, I think so.” His wife answered him absently as she bent down to pull on some lacy, delicate panties before walking toward their walk in closet to select a dress for the day. Andrea leaned back slightly against the pillows behind him to enjoy the view through the open closet door. He quite enjoyed the beautiful sights he was gifted with in his mornings. And his evenings. And his afternoons, if they had time. His eyes caught on the shimmering light of the simple but clinging golden dress that his wife slipped over her head as it was drawn and smoothed over Cloud’s body. It caused him to cock his head consideringly at his wife, who was now wearing _three_ of Andrea’s favorite things on her. Was she trying to tease him? 

A quick, mischievous, not quite hidden glance back by those blue eyes proved that she was. 

Andrea smiled lustfully, pushing himself to his feet to stalk toward his love. 

Cloud held up a hand to forestall him before he got too close. 

“Andrew’s going to be angry if you’re late again. Like you were the last time we got- distracted. Considering that I’d rather skip another lecture, you’d better get going.” She said with laughing, teasing eyes. 

His wife was trying to set up a waiting game, then, was she? Well, Andrea certainly wasn’t going to ruin his wife’s fun. Especially not when he knew that his reward for playing along would be so worth it. 

Still, he couldn’t allow his darling to leave without evening the playing field, just a little. 

He leaned closer to his wife, allowing all the heat and want and desire he was feeling to show in his gaze, drawing notice to the fact that he wasn’t currently wearing a stitch of clothing himself in that subtle way he’d learned long ago. He hid none of what he wanted to do to her at that moment, and he lingered long enough that he could see her beginning to become effected herself. 

Smiling smugly as he watched his wife swallow hard and lick her lips after flicking her eyes down Andrea’s body, Andrea pressed a kiss to his wife’s forehead as he always did before they left one another… and then walked past her and entered their walk in closet himself. 

“Have a good day then, honey.” He called teasingly behind him, to his wife’s annoyed snort. 

Andrea didn’t worry over the way that he’d angered his wife a little by turning her game back on her. 

He knew that he’d make it up to her very thoroughly later.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked this, guys, it was kind of emotional posting the end to this series! After this I'm going to go back to my multishipper self for a bit, so it'll be at least a few days before I start posting Andrea/Cloud again. But I do have a new series for this pairing basically outlined, so hopefully not too long! We'll see if RL allows, because it's kicking my butt a bit, now. 
> 
> Also, I edited this quite a bit yesterday, but only loosely glanced over it today because I have a migraine. Please let me know if I missed something!


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